Senate Democrats Report on DOGE’s Security Risks
A report from Senate Democrats reveals that members of Elon Musk’s DOGE team have moved sensitive information to a cloud server, despite warnings of potential “catastrophic” impacts, reports 24brussels.
The report, authored by Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), claims that the cloud server contains Social Security Numbers (SSNs) of all Americans, raising serious concerns about data privacy and security. Whistleblower accounts indicated that without proper safeguards, the worst-case scenario could involve reissuing SSNs nationwide.
According to the findings, DOGE staff transferred live copies of personal information to the cloud environment, which the Social Security Administration had assessed as extremely risky. The data, identified as “production data,” reportedly grants DOGE the capability to manipulate it directly.
In addition to SSNs, the compromised database includes individuals’ birth dates, places of birth, work permit statuses, and parental names. The potential security threats are significant, encompassing data breaches from foreign adversaries, including Russia and China, as well as unauthorized access by DOGE employees like Edward “Big Balls” Coristine, who previously faced dismissal for leaking sensitive data.
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs highlights DOGE’s questionable operations within the General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management. Last month, a federal appeals court upheld DOGE’s access to sensitive government data, despite accusations from Democrats that the organization had established a “cross-agency master database” intended for tracking immigrants.
Meanwhile, officials from the Social Security Administration have struggled to oversee DOGE’s cloud operations effectively. Reports suggest that DOGE operates with little transparency, featuring armed guards controlling access to its facilities, and securing workspaces that show signs of disruption, including makeshift living conditions.
Senate Democrats are urging the administration to shut down DOGE’s cloud system and suspend its access to personal information until compliance with privacy regulations is verified. They have also called for the release of details surrounding the data to which DOGE employees have had access.
“DOGE is jeopardizing Americans’ most sensitive data, while its employees operate under a layer of secrecy that shields them from meaningful oversight and accountability,” the report states. “This environment results in serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities, privacy violations, and risk of corruption that could open Americans’ most sensitive information to targeting by malicious actors… or serve to benefit DOGE employees and the private companies with which many maintain strong ties.”
